William wharton



,gainitatca atiti @fitta WILLIAM WHAinoN, Jn., or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

i Letters Patent No. 78,165, and May 19, 1868.

IMPROVED RAILROAD-SWITCH.

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'ro ALL WHoM IT MAY eoNoEnN:

Be it known that I', WILLIAM'WHARTONwJr., ofV Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same; My invention relates to a modication ot' that described in the Letters Patent granted to m`e on the 27th day ot' June, A. D. 1865, and consists of a permanent rail and laterally-ilexible rail of a main track, in comof the same, operating inthe manner and for the purpose described hereafter. i

In order to venable others skilled in the art to make and apply my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which' forms a part of this speeication, and in whieh- A I Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of my improved railroad-switch, and

Figure 3 a sectional perspective View on the line 1-2, iig. 2.

A and A are the rails of the main track, and B andB those of the siding 'or turnout.

The railB, from about the point :c to its outer end, is unconned laterally to the track, and thus becomes, between these points, arswitch-rail, D, admitting of being moved to Vthe position shown in-ig. 1, away from the main rail A, or to that seen in iig. 2, where it is in contact with the outer side of the said rail.

The upper surface or tread of this switch-rail D, is at its extreme outer end, on a. level with the tread of thc main rail, but is gradually inclined upwards, as described in my said patent, and as seen in iig. 3. I

In the present instance, this switch-rail D is loperated by a horizontal lever, E, to which the rail is connected by a link, F; the said lever turning on a pin secured at a suitable point adjacent to the track, and its outer end being connected by a rod, Gr, to'the rail A of the main track; this rail being so securedto the bination with a movable switch-rail, forming a continuation of one of the rails of atui'nout, and the fixed rail Vsleepers that it can be bent from the position` shown in iig. lto that seen in fig; 2. When thus bent, the rail A is in contact with the straight outer edge of the pointed termination of the rail B', to receive which, the side of the rail A may be cut away to the limited extent shown in the drawing.

As seen in fig. 1, the switch-rail D has been moved away from therail A, and the rail A from the side of the termination of the rail B; hence the rails of the main'traek are free for the travel over them. ofthe cars in either direction. i

On operating the lever E, however, so that the switchrail D is` brought into Contact with the rail A,'simul tuneously with the bending'of the rail A,'until it is in contact with the rail B', cars moving over the track in the direction of the arrow will pass from the main track to the turnout, or, in the contrary direction, from` the turnout to the main track. i

If, for instance, a car be moving in the direction of the arrow, tig. 2, the wheels traversing the rail A. will gradually mount the inclination at thc endof the switch-rail D, and bc brought under the control of the rail B of the turnout, the wheels having been so far elevated that their flanges will cross the main rail, at the same time the wheels at'the opposite side of the ear will follow the bent rail A', and pass''rom the control of the same to that oi' the rail B of thc turnout;

I olaim'as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The permanent rail A, and laterally-flexible rail A ot the main track, in combination'with the movable switchrail D,`i`oruiing a continuation of the rail of the turnout, andthe ixed rail B of the same, the whole being arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

.In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of' two subscribing witnesses.

WM. WEAR-TON, JR. Witnesses:

JOHN WHITE,

HARRY SMITH. 

